The field of the present invention is in the aerial photographic art and, more particularly, that of aerial photographic art used in reconnaissance work in conjunction with a ground station.
In conventional photo-reconnaissance systems where camera photos of the ground are taken from an aircraft flying along an area of interest, the photo interpreter on the ground after the flight requires many hours to develop, process and interpret the film. Information of intelligence value contained on the film is made available for use only after the flight has been completed and the film transported to the photo lab for processing. Inherent in these systems is the time delay involved, and the possibility of accidents and loss of information obtained before it has been converted into useable form. When a great number of photos are taken, the large amount of time consumed is obviously unsatisfactory. Often, reconnaissance and intelligence agencies need to be able to detect hostile troop movements and identify enemy vehicles within minutes after observation, or, preferably, in real time. In addition, there is a requirement for pictorial hard copy data that can be viewed, copied and filed.
Previous developments in the photo-reconnaissance art include U.S. Pat. No. 3,066,589 which discloses on-board film processing, scanning, and transmission to a ground station. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,971 teaches a photo-reconnaissance system in which photocells and a color filter technique are employed to identify the signature of the target of interest. Neither patent discloses a real time analysis of the photographs that would permit an operator to quickly identify a target of interest.